The Binghamton Black Bears (37-5-2) lost to the
Danbury Hat Tricks (19-21-5) via a shootout at the Visions
Veterans Memorial Arena on Saturday night. After dominating
in a 6–0 shutout victory last night, Binghamton wasted no time
carrying momentum into the home-and-home finale, but it wasn’t
without early drama. Just 27 seconds into the game, Binghamton was
awarded a penalty shot when Gehrett Sargis was
impeded by Danbury’s Austin Pickford. However,
Sargis was unable to convert, keeping the game scoreless in the
opening minute. At the 4:05 mark, it appeared Jacob Shankar
had extended his goal streak to seven straight games, but after an
official review, the play was ruled offsides, wiping the goal off
the board and keeping the contest even. The Black Bears continued to
pressure, outshooting the Hat Tricks heavily throughout the frame.
With Danbury’s Austin Pickford sent off for
slashing at 19:23, Binghamton capitalized late on the power play.
With just 30 seconds remaining in the period, Austin
D’Orazio buried his 20th goal of the season at 19:30,
finishing off a feed from Ivan Bondarenko and
CJ Stubbs to give Binghamton a 1–0 lead heading
into intermission.
The middle frame turned into a goaltending
showcase as neither side was able to find the back of the net.
Danbury pushed early momentum following a Cheechoo Lathlin
interference penalty just 1:14 into the period, but Dominik
Tmej stood tall between the pipes, shutting down the Hat
Tricks’ opportunities and preserving Binghamton’s 1–0 advantage. At
the other end, Danbury netminder Kyle Penton
answered with several key stops of his own, denying quality chances
from the Black Bears and keeping his club within striking distance.
Special teams continued to play a factor throughout the period.
After Ian Tookenay was whistled for slashing midway
through the frame, Binghamton generated pressure but couldn’t extend
the lead. Late in the period, Ivan Bondarenko’s
cross-checking minor gave Danbury another power-play opportunity,
but once again Tmej and the Black Bears’ penalty kill held firm.
Despite chances on both ends, the score remained unchanged after 40
minutes, with Binghamton carrying a 1–0 lead into the third period.
The final period turned into a back-and-forth battle after two
tightly played frames. Danbury finally broke through this weekend
when former Watertown Wolves forward Konstantin Chernyuk
tied the game at 2:40, finishing a Chance Adrian
setup to make it 1–1. The response from Binghamton was immediate.
With Josh Newberg in the box for holding, Scott Ramaekers
buried a power-play goal at 3:57, restoring the Black Bears’ lead at
2–1. The goal was assisted by CJ Stubbs and
Tyson Kirkby, and the assist marked Kirkby’s 300th career
point as a Black Bear, the first player in franchise history
to reach the milestone solely in a Binghamton uniform. But the Hat
Tricks weren’t done. With 9:08 remaining, Kaiden Kandereka
tied the game at 2–2 off a feed from Jordon Kromm
and Ian Tookenay. Just 1:58 later, Kandereka struck
again, this time credited as an extra-attacker goal, giving Danbury
its first lead of the night at 3–2 with 7:11 to play. After the
goal, Kandereka leaped into the glass in celebration, as if it were
a playoff-clinching moment. Following that second goal, there was a
lengthy discussion at the scorer’s table. Binghamton head coach
Brant Sherwood requested the officials determine
whether a potential touch-up by Binghamton during the delayed
penalty sequence could be reviewed. After the extended conference,
the ruling stood. Even if there had been a touch-up, the play is not
reviewable under the rulebook. The Black Bears, however, showed
resilience. At 14:22, during a scramble in front of Kyle
Penton’s net, Tyson Kirkby punched home
the equalizer, his 301st career point, tying the game at 3–3 with
5:38 remaining. The goal was assisted by Scott Ramaekers
and CJ Stubbs. Binghamton used its timeout with
1:56 left in regulation as both teams pushed for a late winner,
capping an intense third period that featured five total goals and
multiple momentum swings.
The five-minute 3-on-3 session was
filled with tension from the outset. Just 1:33 into overtime,
Nick Swain was assessed a tripping minor, giving
Danbury a prime opportunity with the extra skater. The Hat Tricks
controlled much of the frame, holding a 4–2 shots-on-goal advantage,
but Binghamton’s penalty kill and goaltending held firm. Danbury
thought they had ended it at the 2:24 mark when Kaiden
Kandereka appeared to tuck the puck into the net. However,
it was immediately evident the puck had been directed in with a high
stick. After official review, the referees confirmed the call, no
goal, and play continued. Neither side could find the winner in
overtime, sending the contest to a three-round shootout.
Danbury struck first and never relinquished control in the skills
competition.Danbury converted twice in the opening two rounds, and
despite CJ Stubbs keeping Binghamton alive in round
two, Scott Ramaekers was denied in the third,
sealing the victory for the Hat Tricks. After being shut out 6–0 the
night before, the Hat Tricks responded with their first win over
Binghamton this season, splitting the home-and-home series in
dramatic fashion.
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